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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211028">Love, Actually, is All Around</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/genevievedarcygranger/pseuds/genevievedarcygranger'>genevievedarcygranger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hotch x Reader / Hotch x You [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempt at Humor, Awkward Romance, Bets &amp; Wagers, Boss/Employee Relationship, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Humor, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Love Actually, Love Actually References, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Beta Read, Not a lot of Hotch/Reader interaction, One Shot, POV Second Person, Pinching, Power Dynamics, Power Imbalance, Reader-Insert, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Short One Shot, Slow Romance, Some Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:47:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211028</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/genevievedarcygranger/pseuds/genevievedarcygranger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a very taxing discussion with your coworkers, you’re left to decide if you should settle for friendship with Hotch or risk more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aaron Hotchner/Reader, Aaron Hotchner/You, Emily Prentiss &amp; Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hotch x Reader / Hotch x You [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love, Actually, is All Around</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was one of the last days that you all would be stuck in the bullpen before taking your much-needed, long-awaited holiday vacations, and you could feel the excitement in the air like the crisp nip of a morning frost. Morgan kept checking the clock in regular fifteen-minute intervals, counting down until his flight to Chicago tomorrow afternoon so he could be with his family. This was also the first Christmas that he was taking Garcia home with him since she didn’t have much of a family of her own besides the BAU. Reid was just as wound up, though he didn’t glance at the clock but kept shaking his pencil around. His flight was also scheduled for tomorrow afternoon for Vegas, and he was planning to carpool with Morgan and Garcia to the airport.</p><p>The other members of the team weren’t travelling, you included. This year JJ was hosting all of her out of town family for the holidays, Will’s side and her side, and you could tell that she was burying herself in paperwork here to avoid the hecticness as home. Emily just needed to make one obligatory visit to her mother before she was going to no doubt spend the rest of her Christmas in a wine bottle, though she might go crash at Rossi’s for the food.</p><p>Christmas day for Rossi was going to be quiet because tonight was the night, he was going to host the BAU’s get-together. Everyone was excited to go, even Anderson who was finally going to bring around his mystery date. Although his date wasn’t that much of a mystery to the profilers who had a bet going that he was actually going to bring Jake, the new guy whose biggest task so far was delivering the mail. He always blushed when he was around.</p><p>All that left was you and Hotch. Hotch, of course, was going to devote all his time to Jack. He had told you all that Jack had visited Haley’s side with Jessica earlier in the week, so the rest of the time for Jack’s winter break belonged to Hotch. He deserved the undivided attention.</p><p>As for you, much like Garcia, the BAU was your family. It was probably – definitely – unhealthy, but work consumed all parts of your life. Right now, while you were relatively young, that wasn’t a bad thing. You loved your job, oddly enough, because you felt useful and because you felt like you belonged and because you were the change you wanted to see in the world. But sometimes, usually around the holidays, you just wanted more.</p><p>Taking a small break from your case files, you shook out the cramp in your writing hand and sat back in your chair with a sigh. As per habit, your eyes drifted up and to the right to catch sight of the window to Hotch’s office. His blinds were open, and he was diligently at work as always. His office phone was cradled between his shoulder and his cheek as he scribbled something down. His brow was knitted together in concentration, the source of that ever-present wrinkle, and he was frowning at his paperwork. You sighed again.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Emily’s voice snagged your attention.</p><p>You turned to her desk which was across from yours, and saw that JJ was there, too, leaning against the side. Raising your eyebrows, you looked between them, their faces twin expressions of smugness. “Hm? What’s up?”</p><p>Crossing one leg over the other, Emily pinned you to your chair with a look similar to the one she gave witnesses in interrogation. “How long have you worked here?”</p><p>“Um.” You slid your eyes to the left where Reid’s desk was next to yours. He was already staring at your promptly, hugging his knees to his chest. Without having to verbally ask, you tilted your head for help.</p><p>Reid rattled off, “Two years, seven months, three days, two hours, nine minutes, and twenty seconds.”</p><p>Waving your hand in Reid’s direction, you looked back at Emily. “Sounds about right, give or take the twenty seconds.”</p><p>For once choosing to not poke fun at Reid for being a know-it-all, Emily blithely continued, “And how long have you been in love with Hotch, our unit chief?”</p><p>Her question definitely caught you off-guard. Perhaps as a profiler, you should have seen it coming. As it was, it was not one of your proudest moments as you forgot everything you learned about bluffing and instead did your best impression of a goldfish.</p><p>Without you having to ask – and without you wanting to answer – Reid again took the liberty of answering for you. “Two years, seven months, and three days, and two hours, fifty-five minutes, and five seconds.” You, Emily, and JJ turned to look at him with mirrored confusion. Reid did that thing where he pressed his lips together in a not-quite-smile as he explained, “She fell in love him sometime during the interview process and the interview was approximately thirty to forty-five minutes, so I accounted to that and the additional time accrued from how long you’ve been employed. Now it would be fifty-six minutes and six seconds instead of the fifty-five and five.”</p><p>That was when Morgan broke into the conversation. “I bet you beat the calculator every time, pretty boy.”</p><p>"Getting back to the matter at hand,” JJ gently interceded, leaning over to place her palm on top of your desk. “Reid is right.” The last part she muttered under her breath, “As always.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>With almost all of your friends’ eyes on you, you started to get very warm under your festive red sweater. There was no use in denying it, so you asked, “Do you…does everyone know?”</p><p>They all answered together, “Yes.”</p><p>Feeling trapped, your eyes darted between each pair of knowing eyes. “Shit.” Unconsciously, you tucked your bottom lip between your teeth and started to scrape the dead skin from your chapped lip. “Do you think <em>he</em> knows?”</p><p>This time their answer wasn’t quite as uniform, but it was all a resounding, “Yes.” Emily sort of groaned it, and Morgan laughed it, but it was all the same. Gently, Morgan reminded you, “You know we’re all profilers, right? Even him?”</p><p>You tried not to whine, but it did sound like a whine to your ears when you said, “I thought I got pretty good about hiding it. Y’know, I took those poker lessons seriously! I thought I could just, I don’t know, pine in private? A subtle yearning? I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”</p><p>Morgan started chuckling again, but Reid still tried to be helpful. “You still have tells. Chewing your lip in one of them.” Immediately, you covered your mouth with your hand, fingers plucking at the dead skin instead. “But the signs of love, or more appropriately attraction, are all fairly standard to everybody. Dilated pupils, elevated heart rate. Oh, men’s nostrils have a tendency to flare and dilate when they are aroused.”</p><p>“How the hell would you know if my heart rate is elevated if you don’t even touch me?” You asked, not meaning to come off so harsh, but your flustered nerves were getting to you.</p><p>“Don’t be upset. Reid knows Morgan’s resting heart rate,” JJ soothed, and Emily snorted.</p><p> Morgan nearly choked on his coffee. “He what?”</p><p>“The average resting heart rates for adult males ranges anywhere from between sixty to eighty beats per minute, but for someone athletic, it would be closer to forty, so Morgan’s resting heart rate at fifty-two beats per minute only shows that he is excellent condition,” Reid started to defend himself, but you impatiently asked.</p><p>“Okay, okay well I’m no athlete, so what’s my resting whatever thingy?”</p><p>“Seventy-six beats per minute.” Reid rapped his pencil on the back of his knuckles. “Around Hotch, though, your heart beat definitely exceeds that, closer to ninety-eight beats per minute.”</p><p>“Fuck off, you’re estimating again, aren’t you?” You accused lightly, despite your choice in words. “You’re telling me if I google the states you aren’t just assessing my physical health and adjusting the numbers without ever putting your fingertips on my pulse point?”</p><p>“Don’t let that get to you, pretty boy,” Morgan said to Reid, but to you he said, “Sounds to me like you don’t like how close Reid is to the truth.”</p><p>“Meaning?”</p><p>“You’re in love with Hotch,” Emily circled back to the conversation’s beginning.</p><p>Barely resisting the urge to gnaw your lip again, you settled for pressing your lips into a thin line before shooting back, “And?”</p><p>“You don’t deny it?” JJ asked of you, one eyebrow arched as she hopped on top of Emily’s desk. She, too, crossed one leg over the other and crossed her arms across her chest, something she only did when she was satisfied that she was winning, something you saw both during poker games and in interrogation rooms with confessing unsubs.</p><p>"No,” you answered flatly. “I just…If you guys all knew, that’s great, congrats. If he knows, jeesh, that’s, uh, too bad. But what I want to know is why bring it up now? Holiday entertainment? Because I think you’ve got a stack of three files there that need to be finished up in the next couple of hours.”</p><p>“Ooh, defensive!” Emily teased, her eyes lighting up at your misery. “But no, more like we think you guys have dragged this out for long enough.”</p><p>“That’s not the complete truth,” JJ added, tilted her chin down at Emily.</p><p>“Fine. I also made a bet with Rossi that you’d make a move before Christmas. Tonight, if you want to be extra convenient about it.”</p><p>Snorting, you propped your elbows on top of your momentarily forgotten paperwork so you could hide behind your hands. Somehow, your voice was able to carry past the barrier, “What date did Rossi have picked out?”</p><p>“Valentine’s Day. You know he’s a big romantic.”</p><p>Despite how uncomfortable you were in the current situation, you smiled. It was hidden behind your hands, but audible in your voice. “Somehow I think Rossi might have been a bit gentler about this situation than you. Like, doing surgery with an exacto knife instead of a sledgehammer.”</p><p>“Look at princess’s relationship status,” Morgan pointed out with another snicker. “That should tell you why.”</p><p>Emily hastily crumpled up a piece of paper and tossed it Morgan’s way. Even though he was an athlete, he didn’t catch it and it hit him in the head instead. “Hey, I got the job done, didn’t I?”</p><p>“Not technically,” Reid interjected. “You don’t win the bet unless someone makes a move. But you still have time until Christmas!”</p><p>“Yeah!” Dropping your hands away from your face, you were reenergized by your spite. “And why should I have to make a move anyway? I’m happy where I am, thank you very much, watching from afar.”</p><p>“The harmless voyeur type?” Morgan referenced one of your last cases in the field, and you grimaced.</p><p>“Yeah, you like being single as a Pringle?”</p><p>Channeling your inner Dr. Spencer Reid, you argued, “Well, technically Pringles’ cans are pretty full of other chips and considering out of this group of five, a good three of us – the majority – are single, I’d say I’m good company.”</p><p>Before Morgan and Emily could continue teasing you, JJ stepped in again as a mediator with a different approach. “Come on, what’s the real reason you won’t do anything about this?”</p><p>Huffing through your nose, you decided to the list the reasons. “Why mess with a good thing we already have going? The whole team dynamic would be off and weird if it doesn’t work out. Just look at Rossi and Strauss.” You tick off on your fingers, “He’s my boss and that would be heavily frowned on. I highly doubt he feels the same as I do. And I like my job. Besides, Morgan and Garcia get us into enough sexual harassment seminars as it is.”</p><p>“Hey!” This time it was Morgan balling up paperwork and tossing it at you, but you batted it away and it hit Reid instead, who pouted.</p><p>JJ cleared her throat and didn’t start talking again until she had your eyes on her. “What I’m hearing is that you’re scared.”</p><p>“JJ, how long were you and Will together before getting married?”</p><p>“That’s different. That’s marriage.” JJ did not lose her temper with you, understanding your defensiveness stemmed from insecurity. “But you and Hotch haven’t even started anything yet. Don’t you at least want to try and see where it goes? Isn’t that what you think about all the time when you’re staring at his office and at him when he’s not looking?”</p><p>She got too close to the truth, and you turned your face away, silent and shameful. The funny thing was that you would feel better about this if you only crushed on Hotch, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The more time you spent with him, every case in the field, every fateful trip to the hospital or the holiday get-togethers or the boring days at the bullpen or even the occasional Saturday where you’d go watch Jack’s soccer games or meet him for lunch, you learned exactly what kind of man he was. All of that only served to make you want him more, to deepen your love until you felt like it was interwoven into your bone marrow now.</p><p>And you also hated how JJ hit your very daydreams right on the head. You didn’t just lust after Hotch. You didn’t just fantasize about how he was in the sack or what you could do locked in his office or in the bathroom on the jet or in every musty motel room rented out. You thought about what it must be like to wake up with him, to spend a lazy morning making breakfast in pajamas, to cuddle on the couch with a movie, to go grocery shopping and argue about which brand of shredded cheese to buy. It was the little moments in your life where you found yourself pausing and considering what it would be like with him, and you were reminded of how lonely you were.</p><p>In your line of work, you were aware of how obsessive tendencies could get out of control, but you knew it wasn’t like that. In fact, you were more than prepared for Hotch to find someone and settle down with, probably a leading agent from another bureau or some faithful soccer mom who would fit well into his schedule while providing care to Jack. Whenever that day comes, you were ready for it because you had long ago decided that no matter how much you love him, you would not risk endangering your job for this. The friendship you shared would be treasured as is, even if it meant that you’d always be just a coworker.</p><p>“Hey,” Emily called softly, and you found yourself looking at her again. Her face was much softer this time. “We lost you there for a minute while you were in your head. Look, just forget about it if you want to, but we all agree that you should go for it. The worst he can say is no.”</p><p>Wrinkling your nose, you looked back down at your paperwork and mumbled, “Yeah, and then I’ll have to work under that awkward tension for the rest of my career. No thanks.”</p><p>Though you couldn’t see it, Emily went to argue, but JJ’s gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her at the last minute. It wasn’t so much for your sake as it was for the sake of prying ears as Hotch was making his way through the bullpen for his customary third cup of coffee for the day. “What’s these balled up papers?” He asked, as if there were a hundred of them instead of just two.</p><p>Emily awkwardly cleared her throat. “Nothing, Hotch. Uh, Morgan, toss me back the Jacob profile.” At the prompting, Spencer also tossed the other balled up paper back to Morgan’s desk.</p><p>Humming, Hotch continued by to get his coffee, and while he was gone you steadily worked. You tried to push the past couple of minutes as far back into your mind as possible, though you became hyperaware of your every move – especially when Hotch came back with his steaming mug.</p><p>“Don’t forget that we should all try to leave early today so that we can get what we need for Dave’s,” he told you all.</p><p>“We still get to stay overnight? That’s cool with him, right?” Morgan checked.</p><p>“The invitation is open to those who want it, but Anderson already mentioned he would be leaving.”</p><p>“Me, too,” JJ spoke up as she climbed off of Emily’s desk and smoothed down her pencil skirt. “Will and I have the in-laws, y’know. They want as much time with Henry and Michael as they can.”</p><p>"I plan on drinking, so I’m definitely going to stay.” Emily then roped you into the conversation, though your body language (head down, shoulders drawn up) gave every indication that you were ignoring it all. “What about you?”</p><p>You caught yourself biting your lip as you looked straight into Emily’s face to answer, “I’ll stay. My apartment will be a little quiet otherwise. Why leave perfectly good company?” You were proud that you said this all without once looking in Hotch’s direction, but you belatedly realized that that probably was just as obvious as not looking at him. So of course, you looked at him.</p><p>And he was already looking at you. Once your eyes connected, he looked away so slowly, it almost seemed reluctant. “Jack and I are going to stay the night as well. Dave promised to play some video games with him.”</p><p>“Grandpa Rossi,” Emily teased.</p><p>“Yes,” Hotch smiled, a truly rare sight that you soaked up like a flower in the desert. “But don’t let Dave hear you say that.” Checking his watch, Hotch shifted from foot to foot. I’ll see you all there. And I mean it, leave at four.”</p><p>“You don’t have to tell us twice,” Morgan grinned, smoothing the wrinkles out of his paperwork.</p><p>With a brisk nod, and one last look to you, Hotch retreated back up to his office with his cup of coffee.</p><p>You watched him go, more curious than you dared to be in a while. Unbeknownst to you, Emily and JJ were watching, and they snuck off to JJ’s office to continue the conversation.</p><p>“Do you think we should have mentioned that Hotch feels the same?”</p><p>“That would have given away too much.”</p><p>“But what if nothing happens? What if no one does anything?”</p><p>“Then Rossi wins the bet, and he’s the one who gets to push Hotch into acting first – but that won’t be until February.”</p><p>Emily groaned. “I can’t wait that long. All those puppy-dog stares. Ugh.”</p><p>"C’mon. It’s kind of cute.”</p><p>"It’s nauseating.”</p><p>“You love it.”</p><hr/><p>As four o’clock approached, your coworkers peeled off one by one. The first to go was Rossi, who was allergic to paperwork, and claimed that he had a ton of cooking to get a head-start on. Then it was JJ, who couldn’t put off going home when it was her turn to pick up her sons from daycare. Then Morgan, Spencer, and Garcia left as a group as they all had last minute packing to do. Even Anderson left, making excuses about not having baked the cookies he promised to bring yet.</p><p>That left just you and Emily, and you blamed her for why you were staying late since all day afterwards you’d been so distracted. Even though you said you wouldn’t do anything, you couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if you did. Across from you, Emily looked like she actually working hard, but you knew that was because she had a bad tendency to put off her paperwork until the very last minute. Yet somehow, she finished up first.</p><p>"Hey, you wouldn’t mind taking these up to Hotch’s office for me, would you?” She smiled at you.</p><p>“Ha-ha, very funny,” you sarcastically drawled, but accepted her files anyway.</p><p>“In all seriousness,” she paused as she pulled on her winter coat that hung down to her calves, “I do think you should say something to him. He might just surprise you with his answer.”</p><p>You froze for only a moment before you jerked your head up in a frantic motion you’d be embarrassed about later. “Is that a hint?”</p><p>“No,” she strung out the vowel, “but it is encouragement. You can be very brave when you want to. We’ve all seen you do it in this job. And Hotch, y’know, he can be soft sometimes. I’m sure this would be one of those moments.”</p><p>Chewing your bottom lip again, you stared at his office window. This time Hotch was not on the phone, but bent over his paperwork. His hair looked slightly tousled like he’d been running his fingers through it, and at some point, he had taken off his suit jacket. “I don’t know…” you trailed off.</p><p>“It’s Christmas, the time of miracles, Rossi would say. So, do me a favor and make me some money? That’s really what I want for Christmas. That and your eternal happiness.”</p><p>You waved your hand at her. “Goodbye, Emily. Tell the Ambassador I said hello.”</p><p>Emily actually laughed, but then she reminded you. “Hey, Hotch told us to leave early, and look where he is. Try to remind him to follow his own rules.”</p><p>“Well, who else is gonna take care of that man?” You called over your shoulder to Emily’s back as she made her way to the elevators.</p><p>But she had a point. Shaking your head, you decided to focus so you could plow through your paperwork. You managed to finish with fifteen minutes to spare before five, but when you chanced a glance at Hotch, he looked like he hadn’t moved except for the twitch of his left arm, writing away. With a sigh, you took your paperwork and Emily’s to his office, intending to collect him so you both could make it to Rossi’s get together on time.</p><p> You knocked lightly on his office door before entering. “Hey, Hotch. I just need your autograph on this stuff and then I think we should go.”</p><p>Without checking the clock, Hotch said, “Didn’t I say everyone should leave early?”</p><p>"Aren’t you included with everyone?” Two years ago when you were new and didn’t know how to read Hotch’s dry humor, you would have been a stuttering mess, but this was nothing. You’d seen this man stubbornly refusing cold medicine and tissues even when he was spraying boogers all over the paperwork. You knew in this context, his chiding wasn’t serious. “Come on. Just sign it all and then enjoy your holiday.”</p><p>“I need to review–”</p><p>“No, you don’t. It’s just mine and Emily’s work. You trust us, right?”</p><p>The question was meant to be cavalier, but the way Hotch paused and finally looked up at you made you wonder how he really took it. He narrowed his eyes at you, not with distrust, but just…looking at you. You didn’t exactly feel like an unsub interrogation or like a specimen under a microscope with that look. There was a certain softness in his eyes that prevented it. But the longer he stared, the more nervous you got until he finally relaxed, his shoulders dropping down from their perfect posture. “I do. I trust you.” His eyes momentarily widened. “Both of you.”</p><p>Now it was your turn to pause and consider as you stared at him. You did trust Emily. She would not simply goad you into something for any shallow reasons, none of them would. You were all friends. You and Hotch were very good friends. But if he knew all this time and hadn’t said anything…</p><p>But Hotch would never be the one to act first, you knew. You were a profiler. Hotch was keenly aware of power imbalances, and he was also still very broken after everything that has happened in his personal life. He would always be afraid to put himself out there.</p><p>Maybe you could be brave enough for the both of you.</p><p>You took a deep breath and did something you promised you wouldn’t do. You profiled him. You had to know if this was one-sided before you could do anything.</p><p>And as you took in his dilated pupils and his nervous tell when he’d rub his fingertips together, you felt a rush through your veins as if you were hooked up to a bag of fluids in the hospital.</p><p>So, it wasn’t one-sided.</p><p>There was only one way to confirm.</p><p>“Hotch,” you sighed and corrected yourself, “Aaron.” Your lips shaped his name and tingled from the process. It felt so natural, like you’d been calling him that his whole life. “Aaron, I was wondering if… well, I know you and Jack have plans for the rest of your vacation, but I was wondering if one day maybe you’d want to… if you’d go with me… just the two of us, but different than normal…”</p><p>Abruptly, Hotch stood up from behind his desk and the sudden motion made your heart throb painfully in your chest. The fear that you had smothered returned in full-force and you were so afraid to have spoiled everything – but then Hotch was moving out from behind his desk and in three strides he was at your side. And even though he was the one to move to you first, you would later tell Emily with much glee in front of Rossi that you were the one to grab Hotch by the tie and pull him in for a kiss.</p><p>It was the same story Emily would tell at your wedding, of course with some exaggerations. And then when JJ would get up to speak, she’d be the one to say that out of all the BAU, you had to be the bravest agent – all because you took a chance with Hotch.</p>
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